A new queer club night borne out of the lockdown is set to give a platform to artists rarely given the spotlight.
Drag artist Donna Trump started the Queeriosity cabaret night during lockdown as an online event where people could tune in from the comfort of their own homes.
But, with the lockdown restrictions on nightclubs set to ease later this month, the event is returning and it’s now heading to the actual stage in Manchester's Gay Village.
Read more: Covid passports for pubs and restaurants 'could be introduced in autumn'
Donna has now joined forces with fellow drag artist Narcissa Nightshade to produce the new events, which will feature a different roster of queer talent each week.
“The lockdown versions were extremely successful but it was also quite stressful doing it all on my own,” Donna admits to the M.E.N.
“But with Narcissa now on board, it’s the perfect chance for us to bring it out into the real world.
“It’s an opportunity for us to celebrate artists who many people might never have seen before and give them a platform to shine.”
Alongside Donna and Narcissa, the events already promise to feature a wide array of queer artists, including The Vicar's Daughter, Lilly Snatchdragon, Frog Boi and The Bollywitch aka Yvy DeLuca.
There will also be special guest appearances from notable drag artist Juno Birch and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Cherry Valentine.
“Some of these artists would have never been on the same bill as one another,” Donna says.
“We also had a couple of artists who have never even ventured into physical performance in front of audiences before.
“Now they’re being given the chance to experience that for the first time.”
Speaking about the process behind choosing performers, Narcissa adds: “We had to pour over everybody and look at who doesn’t have a voice or who doesn’t get included.
“One artist told us when they had approached different venues about performing, they were told that they didn't know what to do with them.
“For us, there’s room for everybody at the table. We want to see artists of colour, trans artists, drag kings, drag queens, whether it’s old school or new school.
“We want people to be excited and look at the different possibilities of what queer art is.
“People just assume drag is just one thing and it’s really not - it’s so vibrant, it’s really diverse and it’s important for people to know their voice matters.”
It’s something both drag performers admit to having experienced themselves - even when pitching the Queeriosity events to venues.
“Even trying to find someone who wanted to put on this kind of show was difficult,” Donna admits.
“There was a lot of apprehension and some venues just weren’t interested.
“Some people didn’t know whether there was even a place for this kind of show even though we had a proven track record of it working.”
Thankfully, bosses at Cruz 101 were totally on board with the idea and the first night is now set to kick off on Saturday, July 24.
The producers hope the event will also try to break down barriers between performers of different art forms too.
“We want to use this as a chance to build back the community,” Donna adds.
“We’ve noticed particularly within the queer art collectives that there’s a breakdown of relationships between different styles of drag and different styles of performance.
“We want to show people that we’re not actually all that different in the experiences they’re feeling.
“They may be doing different art styles, but there is a harmony in the collective itself.”
Queeriosity has already tested the waters with a sold-out theatre event at Homeground Manchester last month.
For most artists, it was the first time they had appeared on the stage since lockdown.
“It was a really nice way for us to start getting into gigs because there were a lot of us and there was a lot of apprehension about coming back,” Narcissa explains.
“It was like having our own little squad there because we all spurred each other on to do the best that we could.
“It was a really, really special moment for all of us.”
And it’s that special relationship that hopes to drive Queeriosity into a regular staple of the gay village’s nightlife scene.
“As artists, we are completely committed to giving people our everything,” Narcissa says.
“To have audiences who are really hungry to see what this ridiculous but amazing group of people have come up with each week is really exciting.
“For me, it’s all about people putting their money where their mouth is.
“We need the people, we need the support and we need people to get behind it.”
Donna adds: “This show has the artists to be fantastic.
“It’s a new show every week which is something that a lot of places don’t do.
“The thing we need now is to have audiences come in their droves to understand and look at the art that is presented to them.
“It’s bigger, it’s better, it’s brighter and it’s bolder.
"And it’s something you’ve never seen before.”
Queeriosity kicks off on July 24 at Cruz 101 with performances from Donna Trump, Narcissa Nightshade, Coco DeVille, The Vicar's Daughter and Cherry Valentine.
The event will then run every Saturday from 8pm - midnight. Tickets here.
